Employees of Brooksville, Fla., cement plant join Boilermakers union

Workers to seek first contract with Mexican-owned Cemex

Kansas City, Kan. (October 30, 2018) – Workers at the Brooksville, Florida, Cemex cement plant voted to join the International Brotherhood of Boilermakers, Iron Ship Builders, Blacksmiths, Forgers and Helpers (the Boilermakers) in a union election certified by the National Labor Relations Board October 26. After a three-month organizing campaign led by the Boilermakers, 104 workers cast their ballots on union representation. The workers will now form a negotiating committee with the intent to secure a contract with the employer.

“I look forward to serving the workers at the Brooksville plant and helping them secure their important first contract,” said Boilermakers International Representative Jeff Campbell. “The contract will help establish and protect safe working conditions, fair wages, good benefits and reasonable schedules, among other items.”

The Boilermakers have a long history of representing cement workers, including at companies such as LafargeHolcim Ltd., Lehigh Hanson, Inc. and Buzzi Unicem SpA. They are the dominant union representing workers in eight Cemex plants as well as in two additional Cemex facilities. With the organization of the Brooksville plant, all workers in Cemex' cement plants across the United States belong to a union.

Cemex is a Mexican multinational building materials company headquartered in San Pedro. It manufactures and distributes cement, ready-mix concrete, gravel and sand in more than 50 countries. It is the second-largest building materials company in the world.

In 2017, Cemex reported gross revenues of approximately $13 billion and gross profits of $4.4 billion.

“Boilermakers work hard every day to serve Cemex customers and help make Cemex profitable,” said Jody Mauller, Director of Organizing Services for the Boilermakers. “Workers at the Brooksville plant decided they need and deserve a voice in their workplace, and that’s exactly why they voted to become union Boilermakers.

“We look forward to welcoming our new Cemex Boilermakers and to building a good relationship with Cemex in Brooksville.”

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Established in 1880, the International Brotherhood of Boilermakers, Iron Ship Builders, Blacksmiths, Forgers and Helpers is a diverse union representing workers throughout the United States and Canada who are employed in industrial construction, maintenance and repair; ship building; manufacturing; railroads; cement; mining and related industries. More information can be found at www.boilermakers.org.